The kickoff of the 2022 college football season is just around the corner, and already one of the major storylines of the season is the announcement of the Big Ten and their current TV contract.
It was late last week that the Big Ten Conference finally announced their new media right deal, which is worth approximately $1 billion annually.
The conference will be ESPN after a 40+ year partnership to work with a consortium of networks, including CBS, FOX, NBC, and NBC streaming service Peacock.
Why would a group of TV networks pay so much for a collegiate conference’s TV rights?
Simple, sports are one of the few things that still bring in big numbers for broadcast partners. Moreover, in an era of streaming,
smartphones, and the growing trend of cable cutting, networks are willing to throw down big dollars to try and lock up whatever ratings-proof programming they can.
The website Medium did a deep dive on the TV numbers at the end of last season to give everyone an idea of how profitable this programming can be and how vital it is to be part of a network’s portfolio.
The Cornhuskers cracked the Top 15 last season, and the Big Ten overall proved to be a very profitable venture for its partners last season.
Take a look below at the numbers and get an idea of why the Big Ten is worth $1 billion annually.
Ohio State (5.22 million) Michigan (4.74 million) Alabama (4.64 million) Penn State (3.87 million) Georgia (3.6 million)
Oklahoma (3.46 million) Auburn (3.22 million) Michigan State (2.89 million) Notre Dame (2.84 million) Oregon (2.57 million)
Wisconsin (2.41 million) Nebraska (2.29 million) Texas (2.26 million) Florida (2.2 million) Arkansas (2.03 million)